THE COMPREHENSIVE ITINERARY: YOUR 12-DAY TOUR OF JAPAN

Day 1: Sunday. Departure from your home airport to Tokyo, capital of Japan since 1868.

Day 2: Monday. Tokyo.Yokoso! Welcome to Japan!In the evening land at Narita Airport near Tokyo. Meet with Menahem at the airport. After orientation at the airport we depart for Tokyo for an initial impression of the special city via a panoramic tour on the way to our hotel. Kosher Room-Service Dinner and overnight in Tokyo.

Day 3: Tuesday. Nikko National Park.After Shacharit and breakfast, we depart for a full day tour to Nikko National Park (about 140km north of Tokyo): a mountainous nature reserve, among the most beautiful in the world. The town of Nikko has two parts. The lower part is most famous for the Toshogu, “Light of the Sun”, the most lavishly decorated example of Japanese 17th Century art and architecture, which includes the shrine complex and mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, who united Japan in the 17th Century. We’ll take the Irohazaka zigzag driveway up the mountains to upper Nikko on the banks of Lake Chuzenji. After viewing the beautiful lake and the magnificent Kegon Falls nearby, we return to Tokyo. Kosher Dinner and overnight in Tokyo.

Day 4: Wednesday. Tokyo. An unusual experience awaits us this morning. Early in the morning, about 5:30 a.m., we’ll visit the world’s most famous fish market, the Tzukiji Market. It’s the largest fish ‘bourse’ in the world where the catch is auctioned every day to the highest bidder. You can find all kinds of fish here from the tiniest to the largest tuna you may have ever seen, weighing in a hundreds of kilograms. We’ll return to the hotel for Shacharit and breakfast, after which we depart for Asakusa temple with its impressive buildings, and its lively pedestrian mall. Afterwards, depending on traffic in the city we’ll visit some of Tokyo’s numerous other sites. Kosher Dinner and overnight in Tokyo.

Day 5: Thursday. Hakone.

After Shacharit and breakfast, we leave fascinating Tokyo and head out to explore nature. We drive out to the nature reserve of Fuji-Hakone. We’ll visit the renowned open air museum, located within the crater of an ancient volcano; a breathtaking display inside this volcanic nature reserve. We’ll view Lake Ashi and (weather permitting) the magnificent splendor of Mount Fuji, sacred to the Shinto religion. Hakone is known for its volcanic activity and legacy of hot springs and steam vents. We’ll have an opportunity to enjoy the hot springs (onsen). Kosher Room-Service Dinner and overnight in Hakone.* Prepare a small overnight bag for Thursday night as our suitcases will be transported from Tokyo directly to our hotel in Kobe.

Day 6: Friday. Hakone - Osaka - Kobe.After Shacharit and breakfast, we make our way to the train station and catch the Bullet Train (Shinkansen) to Osaka. We’ll visit The Umeda Sky Garden building and - time permitting - we’ll pass through the Tempozan Harbor Village for a view of some outstanding Japanese architecture, as we make our way to Kobe for Shabbat. Friday night services and Shabbat Dinner at Ohel Shelomo synagogue.

Day 8: Shabbat. Kobe.After Shabbat services and lunch, we'll take a walking tour of the area.

Day 9: Sunday. Kobe – Hiroshima – Miyajima.After Shacharit and breakfast, we make our way to the train station and catch the Bullet Train (Shinkansen) to Hiroshima. We'll transfer by train and ferry to the island of Miyajima, southeast of Hiroshima. The island of Miyajima, or in its full name, Itsukushima, which is located in the village of Miyajima, is a popular location where the mountains, the sea and the vermillion shrines create a beautiful and harmonious vision. The entire island is a historical site and is considered one of the three most beautiful in all of Japan. The origins of Miyajima are documented in the year 593 when the Empress Suyaku was crowned, and the shrine was built in honor of the event. The island and the mountain on it were considered a sacred site. After our busy day, we’ll return to our Hotel in Hiroshima. Kosher Room-Service Dinner and overnight in Hiroshima.

Day 10: Monday. Hiroshima - Himeji - Kyoto. Today we’ll take a guided tour of the city that was A-Bombed at the end of World War II. Hiroshima, which in 1945 was the 6th largest city in Japan, was of strategic military importance. The headquarters of the Second Army, which was charged with protecting all of southern Japan, was located here. However, Allied bombing during World War II was not focused there. The city was built mainly of wood, which made it very vulnerable to fire. We will visit the Peace Museum and Memorial. After the emotional visit to these sites, we’ll board the bullet train to Himeji, where we’ll visit one of three most important Samurai castles in Japan. From Himeji we’ll continue to Kyoto. Kosher Room-Service Dinner and overnight in Kyoto.

Day 11: Tuesday. Kyoto.This morning we'll begin our two-day visit to Kyoto – Capital city of Imperial Japan for more than 1100 years. Called “Jerusalem of Japan” Kyoto is home to many of the most important Buddhist and Shinto shrines, such as the Imperial Palace where Japanese emperors used to be crowned. Due to its sanctity, the city was unharmed during World War II. Many Japanese and foreigners visit the ancient sites of the city. We will visit the gilded Kinkaku-ji temple and marvel at its reflection in the surrounding lake. From there we’ll make our way to the beautiful stone garden which surrounds the Ryoan-ji temple. After visiting the temples, we’ll tour Kyoto’s famous Nishiki market, and in the evening we will be hosted at “Beit Shalom” – a community of Japanese supporters of Israel. Kosher Room-Service Dinner and overnight in Kyoto.

Day 11: Wednesday. Kyoto.Today we continue our tour of this fascinating city. We'll visit the famous Kiyomizu Temple, a Unesco World Heritage Site and continue through the alleyways of Ninenzaka and Sanenzaka. After that we'll continue along the Philosopher's Path to a tea house to witness a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. The jewel in the crown of our visit today will be a stop in the Gion district of Kyoto, where the Geisha homes are to be found. In the evening we’ll make our way back to Tokyo. Kosher Dinner and overnight in Tokyo.